Kaepernick says SF different team now

[DeathbyTalons]

When you like your first read as much as Kaepernick does, Crabtree is a key component. If our offense doesn't improve at least somewhat, we are losing this game. I feel good about our chances, but we are not spanking them again, just like we didn't spank the Saints again.

Well, if you are a one-read QB like many say Kaepernick has often times been, and your first read is covered very well throughout the game by a good secondary such as the Hawks, then it could actually be a benefit to us.

It will prolong his throws, waiting for Crabtree to get open. And if he is not open, he may just try and throw it into tight coverage anyway. We shall see.

If they're smart, they will just send Crabtree over the middle all day. Our linebackers are good in coverage overall, but they are not like Sherman & Maxwell.

I see your point, time for him to be introduced to Mr. Chancellor.

 

[hawk45]

Containing Gore and staying disciplined so as to keep Kaepernick in the backfield is the key to everything. If we can't stop their run successfully with our front 7 and have to utilize more zone defense as a result, that is the way I can see their passing attack having some success against our secondary.

They are probably thinking along the same lines with respect to stopping Lynch and therefore being able to run a lot of man coverages against our guys. They have the front 7 to do it.

The biggest difference (I hope) is that while I think our secondary, playing man-to-man, is capable of vanishing Crabtree and limiting VD, I do not think their secondary is quite good enough to fully mitigate Percy Harvin, may he please be healthy, even in man coverage, without a lot of help that weakens their coverage vs. Tate and Baldwin. So if Harvin does play, they will really need to generate pressure against Wilson, something they are capable of doing.

Boy am I glad this is at Century Link. With two teams so evenly matched (right down to offenses that can't carry the team), that extra defensive edge granted by the 12th man is gigantic.

 

[Polaris]

If they're smart, they will just send Crabtree over the middle all day. Our linebackers are good in coverage overall, but they are not like Sherman & Maxwell.

Hopefully (and I think this is likely) we'll have KJ Wright back, he's able to cover Crabtree as an LBer (if he could cover Graham, he can cover Crabs) along with Chancellor and a little ET thrown in, I think we can handle Crabs in the middle.

In fact we've when we've faced both Boldin and Crabs together, it really wasn't a problem for our D, and that was in the 'stick.

 

[Reaneypark]

Bring it BatBoy.

 

[captSE]

Kaepernuts needs to quit kissing his arm pits.......

 

[RichNhansom]

All I hope for is an evenly called game. If they are going to put a microscope on our secondary they better pay attention to Crabtree pushing off. He does it any time he needs separation and without fail.

That big gore run today had an enormous hold on Keuchly that would have stopped Gore at the LOS. The Gore run against Seattle in the stick had a similar hold on Sherman which would have also blown up the run. Hopefully those types of things get called. I'm not talking about a ticky tacky hold like what was called on Giacamini to bring back Turbins run either. These were both blatant and blatantly ignored.

Throwing DB's to the ground like Carolina got called for today happened multiple times in the Seattle 9er game at the stick without a single call. Again if they are going to scrutinize our play they better not let those things go on.

The NFL got what it wanted. 9ers vs Seahawks and NE vs Denver. Hopefully they don't have a specific agenda as to who plays in the superbowl. All these teams are to evenly matched to overcome the officials from tilting the field. Hopefully this is when we get to see the flags only come out for egregious calls and not ticky tacky crap that takes away big plays, prevents a turn over from being challenged or converts failed 3rd downs into mysterious 1st's.

Let the teams decide.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

If the LBs maintain their gaps and Kaepernick can't get outside, we should be fine at home. Should.

The key will be takeaways. Kaepernick has been trying to turn the ball over the last two games, but the two awful secondaries he was playing didn't bother to play along. We can get two or three takeaways off Kaepernick, but we need to convert those chances.

 

[AbsolutNET]

He didn't say anything untrue. They have a couple guys now they didn't then, and are absolutely rolling right now. I expect our D to be up to the challenge as always, but I am worried about our 3rd down offense right now and how the passing game relates to it.

 

[HawkWow]

Carolina failed to contain Frank Gore who had 4,9 avg. yards. That's too much.

TBF though take out that one 4th quarter run (oddly the same play --and same juke on the one-high safety-- that sealed the Hawks game at Candlestick) and for the rest of the game he averaged 2.8 ypc.

Take out those two runs and the effective game against the Falcons' awful run defense, and Gore has really struggled for over two months now (since Week 10). It's a combination of struggling in the run blocking, and Gore having just really run down at this point. He'd lost a step or two in his straight line speed in the past couple years, but that never really mattered in his game that much anyway. In the latter half of this season he has lost his lateral quickness and some of his power. Kind of sad to watch actually, as his vision and patience (which have ALWAYS been his strongest assets) are still there, but he just can't to where he's trying to go anymore. He just looks tired.

In any case, long way to say that aside from that one long run, I think Carolina did a good job containing him, and that's partially him just being in decline too. I expect the Hawks rush D to come out better than it did against the Saints, but coming out like they did against the Saints might be the 9ers only shot of really establishing the run game next week (and as we already know, Kap only runs on Green Bay ).

I started noticing this with Gore the last qtr of last year. TBH, I'm surprised he's played as well as he has. Credit to him and he's (somewhat) proved me wrong. But I think you guys let him go this off season. Especially if Lattimore is good to go (and it sounds as though he is)...I like Gore, but think he's too much money for what he will likely contribute next year. What are your thoughts / 9er nation thoughts on this?

 

[Meedsy]

They will play us tough, yes. And yes they are playing well right now. But the 8 in a row means squat. Hawks had won 6 or 7 in a row going into Atlanta last year. Denver had won something like 11 in a row last year. You could just as easily say, like our loss to Arizona ending our home streak, that the law of averages says their due.

I am already getting annoyed by all the Niner fans around me up here (Calgary)

Well I will be there on Sunday repping the 12th man! Flying in on business and watching the game somewhere downtown.. Go Calgary 12s! Any recommendation on a good sportsbar downtown where there might be a decent 12th man contingent?

 

[paramedic586]

What kaepernick was talking about was this was different team then Carolina played in the regular season. We lost one TE on the first drive and lost vd in the middle of the second. 49ers play a lot of two TE sets so it changed how they were able to call plays. Plus Crabtree was back and aldon was a starter again. His comments had absolutely nothing to do with Seattle.

 

[BayAreafbfan]

There is no meat to chew on with this statement. What is he supposed to say? A team with no confidence in themselves is dead on arrival.

 

[paramedic586]

All I hope for is an evenly called game. If they are going to put a microscope on our secondary they better pay attention to Crabtree pushing off. He does it any time he needs separation and without fail.

That big gore run today had an enormous hold on Keuchly that would have stopped Gore at the LOS. The Gore run against Seattle in the stick had a similar hold on Sherman which would have also blown up the run. Hopefully those types of things get called. I'm not talking about a ticky tacky hold like what was called on Giacamini to bring back Turbins run either. These were both blatant and blatantly ignored.

Throwing DB's to the ground like Carolina got called for today happened multiple times in the Seattle 9er game at the stick without a single call. Again if they are going to scrutinize our play they better not let those things go on.

The NFL got what it wanted. 9ers vs Seahawks and NE vs Denver. Hopefully they don't have a specific agenda as to who plays in the superbowl. All these teams are to evenly matched to overcome the officials from tilting the field. Hopefully this is when we get to see the flags only come out for egregious calls and not ticky tacky crap that takes away big plays, prevents a turn over from being challenged or converts failed 3rd downs into mysterious 1st's.

Let the teams decide.

Kuechly was not held at all. Mike iupati completely boxed him out and was I between him and gore. And this supposed blatant hold on Sherman was not obvious. It happened so fast that the ref would have to be looking at Sherman the whole time. Those are not called all the time.

 

[RolandDeschain]

He didn't say anything untrue. They have a couple guys now they didn't then, and are absolutely rolling right now. I expect our D to be up to the challenge as always, but I am worried about our 3rd down offense right now and how the passing game relates to it.

Don't worry. Rumor has it there is nothing wrong with the Seahawks offense.

 

[NFSeahawks]

The 49ers don't seem confident at all, they know whats going to happen, it's already been written in the skies.

 

[49ers]

You know what? I feel like the key for both teams is exactly the same:

Contain the QB (RW/Kap)

Stop the RB (Lynch/Gore)

Minimize mistakes (penalties & turnovers)

Literally, the same.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

He didn't say anything untrue. They have a couple guys now they didn't then, and are absolutely rolling right now. I expect our D to be up to the challenge as always, but I am worried about our 3rd down offense right now and how the passing game relates to it.

Don't worry. Rumor has it there is nothing wrong with the Seahawks offense.

Now Roland, that sort of talk sounds like you're just scared to FAIL. Are you ALL IN or not?

 

[RolandDeschain]

Now Roland, that sort of talk sounds like you're just scared to FAIL. Are you ALL IN or not?

Oh, I'm all in. I'm also just realistic about our current offensive woes.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

It is a concern that they haven't put together a complete offensive game since the first N.O. game. Missed opportunities kept us from 15-1.

I don't see SF blowing the doors off teams either. They really struggled to put points on the board against Green Bay, and Green Bay sucks. But it feels so much worse watching our team struggle, especially with all those weapons.

 

[kmedic]

I actually have no real concerns about our defense containing them. I don't see them scoring more than 20 points next week. The critical question is can our offense right now score more than 20 points? Our offensive line will need to play lights out for that to happen IMO.